Low ambient head pressure stabilizer system



June 6, 1967 c, J, ER 3,323,318

LOW AMBIENT HEAD PRESSURE STABILIZER SYSTEM Filed March 24, 1965 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

June 6, 1967 c. J. FISHER 3,

LOW AMBIENT HEAD PRESSURE STABILIZER SYSTEM Filed March 24, 1965 2Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR. 61/05 457,159

United States Patent 3,323,318 LOW AMBIENT HEAD PRESSURE STABILIZERSYSTEM C. Joe Fisher, 505 E. Hadley St., Aurora, Mo. 65605 Filed Mar.24, 1965, Ser. No. 442,422 2 Claims. (Cl. 62-196) The present inventionrelates to a low ambient head pressure stabilizer system for use inconventional air conditioners and refrigeration systems and the like,and more particularly in this respect has reference to a pressurestabilizer means for effecting more efiicient operation by means ofproviding a pressure sensitive means so that upon increased pressure ofthe internal vapor of the system, auxiliary and additional cooling pathsare provided that pass through the condenser for shunting off theexcessive pressure of the vapor and provide stabilization of the systemunder significant load conditions.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a new and improvedhead pressure stabilizer means in a conventional air conditioner orrefigeration system for the purpose of maintaining close-to-normal headpressures during low outdoor ambient temperature conditions. Sinceduring cool weather conditions, air conditioners or refrigerationsystems have a decrease in head pressures, even to the point where theexpansion valve metering device loses some of its efficiency, thepresent invention provides a means of reducing the shunt paths on thecondensing area and thereby maintains a near-tonormal head pressurewithin the range wherein the expansion valve functions most eificiently.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stabilizer means thatmay be field adjustable to compensate for subnormal conditions orrefrigerants of different pressure characteristics. The stabilizer meansmay have a number of outlets for providing in seriation additional or areduction in the number of shunt paths in the condenser as the plungeror cylinder piston of the stabilizer means is axially displaced alongthe stabilizer as a result of the changes in pressure,

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will 'becomeapparent upon full consideration of the following detailed descriptionand accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of a stabilizer means including apermanently open inlet and outlet port and a plurality of inlet portsselectively closed and opened in seriatim by means of a pressureresponsive plunger, for use in air conditioner and refrigerationsystems, and which is the preferred embodiment of the invention. Thisdevice is field adjustable to permit its use with refrigerants havingdifferent pressure characteristics.

FIGURE 2 shows a cross-section taken along lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 shows a modification in which the stabilizer means is shown asbeing pre-set and of a non-adjustable type; and

FIGURE 4 shows a system using the stabilizer means of the presentinvention on the output side of a condenser.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a stabilizer means whichincludes an outlet port 12, and a series of axially disposed inlet ports14, 16, 18 and 20, with the inlet port 14 being permanently open into apiston chamber 24, and a piston 26 is disposed to slide along the lengthof the piston chamber 24, but the normal position of the piston 26 is atthe closed end 30 of the piston chamber 24, The piston 26 is shown beingprovided with an O-ring 34 to provide a sealing effect between thepiston 26 and the piston chamber 24. A spring 36 is disposed be-3,323,318 Patented June 6, 1967 tween the end 30 and the piston 26 forproviding positive spring bias therebetween, and the piston is displaceddepending upon the amount of pressure or a fluid applied to inlet port14, as shown by the arrow 33 in schematic fashion.

The position of the piston 26 and the end 30 may be adjusted by means ofadjusting means 42. Adjusting means 42 includes a slot 44 that providesfor turning by means of applying a screw driver thereto.

FIGURE 2 shows outlet ports that are connected to the piston chamber 24.FIGURE 3 shows that the stabilizing means may be constructed so that theend means 30a is not readily disposed for adjustment as is available bymeans of the structural embodiment of FIGURE 1.

The stabilizer means may be installed in the refrigeration or heatexchange systems shown in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 4 shows the stabilizer unit 10 connected on the outlet end of thecondenser coil and apparatus 54. Therefore, the stabilizer unit or means10 is shown connected in circuit between the outlet of the condensercoil and apparatus 54 and line '60, which line also includes a receiver72.

When the atmospheric temperature drops, the pressure within the inletport 14 will also drop and its effect against the piston 26 in chamber24 will be reduced permitting the piston to recede in the chamber andcut off substantially any or all of inlet ports 16, 18, 20 etc. In thiscase, one circuit only, the one leading to inlet port 14, will providethe liquid refrigerant to the outlet port 12 and the receiver and headpressure will remain somewhat steady. On a rise in ambient temperature,the reverse will take place in that an increase in pressure withinchamber 24 will exert additional effort against piston 26 causing it tomove toward the spring end of the unit and open additional inlets 16,18, and 20 as is required to maintain the desired pressure.

The stabilizer unit 10 may include a bleeder tube from spring area tolow side for providing and preventing any possibility of hydrauliccounter-action on the spring end of the piston.

Additional embodiments of the invention in this specification will occurto others and therefore it is intended that the scope of the inventionbe limited only by the appended claims and not by the embodimentsdescribed hereina bove. Accordingly, reference should be made to thefollowing claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A low ambient head pressure stabilizer means for air conditioningsystems and refrigeration systems and the like, comprising a compressorfor receiving gas at low pressure and producing gas under high pressure,a condenser having shunt paths therein for receiving gas under pressurefrom a compressor and discharging refrigerant produced from said gaswhen cooled through said stabilizer means connected to outlet ends ofthe condenser paths and including a piston in a cylinder chamber and aspring for biasing said piston from one of the ends thereof, an outletport at the other end thereof and common to the outlet area of thecylinder and an inlet port permanently open for receiving said highpressure liquid and for displacing said piston upon excessive pressuresto provide additional available ports for the flow of said refrigerantliquid from the shunted paths or circuits of the condenser and on to thereceiver, the expansion valve and the evaporator of said system.

2. A low ambient head pressure stabilizer means for heat exchangesystems comprising a compressor for receiving a refrigerant vapor at lowpressure and producing a refrigerant vapor under high pressure, acondenser for receiving said high pressure refrigerant and discharging Ja liquid therefrom, a receiver for retaining the surplus refrigerantliquid under normal temperature conditions, an expansion valvecontrolling the refrigerant flow, an evaporator for receiving saidliquid refrigerant and producing a gas upon a heat exchange effectthereof, and a pressure stabilizer means included in said system betweenthe outlet circuits of the condenser and the evaporator in which saidpressure stabilizer means includes a chamber, a piston and a spring biasmeans for displacing the piston from the closed end thereof, an inletport for receiving said refrigerant under said pressure for displacingthe piston against said spring bias means for pro- 4 viding discharge ofsaid refrigerant through additional ports selected upon the amount ofdisplacement of said piston as a result of the high pressure refrigerantacting thereupon.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,564,310 8/1951 Nussbaum 62-1963,110,162 11/1963 Gerties 62-196 3,153,913 10'/ 1964 Brody.

MEYER PERLIN, Primary Examiner.

1. A LOW AMBIENT HEAD PRESSURE STABILIZER MEANS FOR AIR CONDITIONINGSYSTEMS AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING A COMPRESSORFOR RECEIVING GAS AT LOW PRESSURE AND PRODUCING GAS UNDER HIGH PRESSURE,A CONDENSER HAVING SHUNT PATHS THEREIN FOR RECEIVING GAS UNDER PRESSUREFROM A COMPRESSOR AND DISCHARGING REFRIGERANT PRODUCED FROM SAID GASWHEN COOLED THROUGH SAID STABILIZER MEANS CONNECTED TO OUTLET ENDS OFTHE CONDENSER PATHS AND INCLUDING A PISTON IN A CYLINDER CHAMBER AND ASPRING FOR BIASING SAID PISTON FROM ONE OF THE ENDS THEREOF, AN OUTLETPORT AT THE OTHER END THEREOF AND